Quote:
Originally posted by teena
I can see validity in everyones post. I give AlphaFrog props for standing by her opposing viewpoint. I dont agree. But I can see how she could have that view. She hasnt ever been a minority, so she may empathize but she wont fully understand.
Many AA dont and wont see the poem as racist simply because of the fundamental question--Can an AA be racist when we dont hold any real power? We can have racist beliefs but I dont think we can be racists simply because we dont sit in the driver's seat.
I dont think the poem is racist. I am very uncomfortable with the little girl's poem for a somewhat different reason. I am a parent. At seven, prodigy or not, her poem is regurgitation of viewpoints expressed to her by her parents. My thing is, at seven why is she being shoved into adulthood and dealing with full on adult issues. This is not the age where is black children speak out of line or dont know their place, they could get killed, like it was back during slavery. It is not a matter of safety for her to be aware of racial issues. I think to some degree her parents are doing her a disservice by no allowing her to fully enjoy her childhood.
I dont agree with Rain Man's view point of pull yourself up by your bootstraps and dont worry about it. But I respect his right to feel that way. AA are the only race that are not allowed to discuss the current ramifications of past injustices without being accused of pulling the 'race card'. No other race has a 'race card'.
Just my 2 cents.....
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I have to disagree with you. I grew up in an extremely pro-Black home, and knew more about my history and culture than some college students when I was still a child. Now that I am an adult in the real world, I thank my father every day for the lessons he taught, the pride he instilled in me, and the reality that he showed me. I think sometimes that in our pursuit of "childhood and innocence" for a child, we neglect to show them how the world really is. That child grows in a bubble, and then they hit the real world and are shocked to find that its not all peaches-and-cream like they thought for the past 18 years. Because of my father's insistence that I learn about my history, my culture, and to be proud of who I was and where I came from, I wasn't deterred when White people in my undergrad days would tell me that I was only there because of affirmative action. I wasn't deterred when people looked at me funny in stores or followed me around. I wasn't deterred by any of the negative experiences I've had with ignorant people, because at the end of the day I know my worth. I know that I'm descended from kings and queens, inventors and businesspeople, people that struggled and sacrified and did what they had to do despite all the negativity in the world. And I thank my father for giving me all that.